Symptoms
You may not have any symptoms of
lung cancer
, or you may have symptoms such as a cough
or shortness of breath that you might think are related to a respiratory
illness.
Symptoms of lung cancer may include:
- A new cough or a cough that does not go away. Smokers who have a
chronic cough from smoking may have a change in how severe their cough is or
how much they cough.
- Chest, shoulder, or back pain that does not go away and often
gets worse with deep breathing.
- New
wheezing
.
- Shortness of breath.
- Hoarseness.
- Coughing up blood or bloody mucus.
- Swelling in the neck and face.
- Difficulty swallowing.
- Weight loss and loss of appetite.
- Increasing fatigue and weakness.
- Recurring respiratory infections, such as
pneumonia
.
- Clubbing of the fingers and toes. The nails appear to bulge out
more than normal.
Lung cancer may spread (metastasize) to other parts of the
body. The most common sites are the bones, the brain, the liver, the other
lung, the lining of the heart (
pericardium
), the skin, and the
adrenal glands
. When lung cancer spreads, other
symptoms may also occur.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to
the spine or bones may include:
- Bone pain.
- Weakness or numbness of the arms or legs.
- Back pain.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the brain may include:
- Seizures.
- Headaches.
- Change in alertness.
- Vision changes, such as double vision or new blind spots.
- Nausea or vomiting.
Symptoms of cancer that has spread to the liver or lymph nodes may include:
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice).
- Lumps or bumps under the skin or enlarged
lymph nodes
.
- Decreased appetite.
- Weight loss.
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